Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 5, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 5, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to antisemitism. Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. New York
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  Speaker 1: City is grappling with a significant rise in anti Jewish
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  Speaker 1: hate crimes, even as overall violent crime in the city decreases.
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  Speaker 1: NYPD statistics released this week's show that in the first
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  Speaker 1: seven months of twenty twenty six, anti Jewish incidents rose
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  Speaker 1: eight point five percent, with two hundred and five confirmed
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  Speaker 1: hate crimes against Jews recorded, up from one hundred and
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  Speaker 1: eighty nine in the same period last year. These incidents
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  Speaker 1: now account for more than half of all reported hate
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  Speaker 1: crimes in the city, despite Jewish New Yorkers making up
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  Speaker 1: only ten percent of the population. This trend follows a
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  Speaker 1: record high in antisemitic incidents in twenty twenty four, remaining
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  Speaker 1: elevated since. Amid this surge, the US Justice Department has
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  Speaker 1: formally acknowledged that Ari Halberstam's nineteen ninety four antisemitic murder
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  Speaker 1: would be investigat as a federal hate crime and civil
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  Speaker 1: rights violation if it occurred today. The Department has also
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  Speaker 1: pledged resources to prosecute hate crimes and sent a letter
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  Speaker 1: to New York City Mayor Zurin Mamdani requesting answers about
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  Speaker 1: alleged unequal treatment of Jewish residents. Following complaints about the
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  Speaker 1: city's handling of antisemitism, The do JA Civil Rights Division
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  Speaker 1: stated it is actively investigating and prosecuting hate crimes, including antisemitism, nationwide.
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  Speaker 1: This federal inquiry comes as many Jewish leaders and some
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  Speaker 1: Israeli officials have accused Mayor Mamdani of fueling antisemitic incidents
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  Speaker 1: through his staunch criticism of Israel and Israeli leadership. Beyond
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  Speaker 1: New York, antisemitism remains near record levels globally. In Britain,
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  Speaker 1: the Community Security Trust reported nearly two thousand anti Jewish
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  Speaker 1: hate incidents in the first six months of twenty twenty six,
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  Speaker 1: a twenty one percent rise compared to the same period
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  Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five. Vable incidents included two Jewish worshippers
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  Speaker 1: being stabbed in North London and several arson attacks on
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  Speaker 1: Jewish premises. In Spain, the bronze statue of Mimonodes in
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  Speaker 1: Cordoba was defaced with a swastika and act local authorities
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  Speaker 1: condemned as an attack on heritage and a message of hate.
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  Speaker 1: Of extreme gravity. Canada is also experiencing a raucous wave
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitic agitation since the October seventh attacks, with leaders
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  Speaker 1: criticized for failing to confront the issue. Overall, twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: five was reportedly the deadliest year in three decades for
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  Speaker 1: attacks against diaspora Jews, with a notable surge in New York.
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  Speaker 1: Politically and in media circles, Concerns persist regarding rhetoric that
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  Speaker 1: can incite hatred. In New York, Alan Drshovitz strongly criticized
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  Speaker 1: Jewish voters supporting Mayor Mamdani, calling them self haters and
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  Speaker 1: idiots due to Mamdani's alleged antisemitism and anti Israel stance.
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani's administration has nevertheless increased funding for hed hate crime prevention.
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  Speaker 1: In the UK, former MP Luciana Berger urged the Conservative
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  Speaker 1: Party to drop candidate Joshua Bonehill Paine, who was jailed
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  Speaker 1: for a campaign of antisemitic abuse against her. Meanwhile, Rotary
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  Speaker 1: International faces criticism for appointing former Irvin mayor Farak Khan
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  Speaker 1: as president of a local club due to accusations of
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  Speaker 1: antisemitic social media posts. In Michigan, Democratic Senate hopeful Abdel
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  Speaker 1: Elsaide is being scrutinized for endorsing a pastor who has
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  Speaker 1: praised Louis Ferrakin, known for his history of antisemitic remarks. Additionally,
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  Speaker 1: the Democratic National Committee is reportedly facing internal divisions over
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  Speaker 1: issues including antisemitism and the influence of Democratic Socialists online.
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  Speaker 1: A wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories has emerged, falsely blaming
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  Speaker 1: Jews for recent European wildfires. These claims are spreading rapidly
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  Speaker 1: on social media platforms, with one post on ex alone
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  Speaker 1: receiving over two mons million views. Cyberwell, an online hate
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  Speaker 1: monitoring group, noted this is part of a recurring pattern
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  Speaker 1: of using crises to spread hatred against Jews, often employing
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  Speaker 1: dehumanizing language and classic antisemitic tropes. Such content, Cyberwell stated,
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  Speaker 1: falls within IHRA's working definition criteria, including collective accusations and
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  Speaker 1: allegations of hidden Jewish control in political discourse. Progressive climate
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  Speaker 1: activist William Lawrence secured the Democratic nomination in Michigan's seventh district.
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  Speaker 1: His campaign platform included accusing Israel of genocide and calling
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  Speaker 1: to stop arming Israel, rhetoric that aligns with IHRA's contemporary
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  Speaker 1: examples concerning demonization and double Standards, Looking Ahead. Advocacy and
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  Speaker 1: discussion on combating antisemitism continue. An upcoming webinar on August
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  Speaker 1: twenty fifth will feature ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblat and Harvard
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  Speaker 1: Jewish alumni leaders discussing strategies to fight campus antisemitism and
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  Speaker 1: support Jewish individuals in academia. I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for listening to Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with
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  Speaker 1: AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details
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  Speaker 1: with primary sources.